Machine for nailing fruit-boxes.



No. 822,142. I PATENTED MAY 29, 1906. A. A. MAGY & B. T. DUNCAN. MACHINE FOR NAILING FRUIT BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT,21,1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

ALLISON A. MAOY AND BENJAMIN T. DUNCAN, OF WENATOHEE, VVASH- INGTON, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO HERBERT M. BOYS, OF WENAT- OHEE, WASHINGTON.

MACHINE FOR NAILING FRUIT-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1906.

Application filed September 21, 1906. Serial No. 279,627.

. clear, and exact description of the invention,

. ing machine.

1 said top or lid boards-in place.

chine forming the subject-matter of the pres- 1 such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for nailing fruit-boxes or other closures and it is the object of the invention, among other things, to so support a fruit-containing receptacle or box that the top and bottom walls or side walls of the box may be bulged or bent to some extent when the fruit is within the receptacle, the fruit being shown by the slightly-bulged edges of the box.

It is also the object of the invention to so grip and hold the top or lid of the box that the said lid may be easily nailed in place, although it is bowed or bulged to some extent by the contents of the box.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel construc tions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our improved box-nail- Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the machine, taken from front to rear and to one side of the operating-levers of the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a portion of the machine with a boX in position and gripped for nailing.

In shipping many kinds of fruit, and particularly apples, it is desirable in some wholesale markets to be able to exhibitboxes appearing very full with the top and bottom covers or boards bulging outwardly in the middle and slightly exposing the fruit to view. It is somewhat difficult to so hold a box or receptacle and bend the top or lid boardsoverthe. fruit and at the same time properly nail the The maent invention is so constructed that the .box may be properly held to permit of the bottom to so grip the box and the lid or cover boards as to hold them in position for nailing in place.

In the drawings we have illustrated a pref-.

erable form of-our box holding and nailing machine, in which 1 indicates a frame sup ported upon suitable standards 2. The frame may be made triangular in shape, as shown in Fig. 1, but is provided with a boxsupporting portion which is rectangular and approximately the size of the box which is to be held in place. a.

As shown in Fig. 1, transverse rails .or beams 3 are secured in the frame 1, and at the rear ends'ofthe said transverse beams or rails is a gage block or rail4. The gage-rail ex and top bulging and yetto make it possible tends from one rail 3 to the other rail 3 and also projects a sufficient distance above the said transverse rails 3 to. assist in positioning the box uponthe machine Whenit is to be nailed. The space between the rails 3 is left open, so that when the ends of the box are rested upon said rails the boards extending from one to the other about the bottom can be forced downwardly at their central por-v tions, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Pivoted to the front edge of the rear standard 2 is an op-. crating foot-lever 5, which extends toward the front edge of the machine a sufficient distance to be reached by the foot of the operator when standing in front of the machine- This foot-lever is normally slightly raised by the action of a spring 6, which is secured to the said lever, the upper end of-said spring. being connected, by means of a link or bar 7, with the frame 1. We preferably employ a hinge 8 of suitable structure for securing the ffoot-lever 5 to the said rear posts 2, the lever lthus being held so as to move only in a vertical plane.

Secured to intermediate standards or posts 9 of the frame are levers 10, which project inwardly toward the foot-lever 5 and are mov-. ably connected therewith by means of short links 11. The links ll-are pivotally connected with said levers 10 at one of their ends, while at their other ends they are pivotally connected with a bolt 12, extending transversely across the foot-lever 5.

I The levers. 10 are thus so connected with the foot-lever 5' that they may be moved downwardly by the ,depressing of the foot-lever 5. The posts 9 are preferably, braced with respect to the frame 1 by means of diagonal brace-bars 13.

Box-gripping means is mounted upon the levers 10, and said means is made up of upwardly-extending gripping-bars 14, which are bolted in their lower ends to the said levers 10 and which then extend through guide slots or openings 15, formed in frame 1. The connection between each gripping-lever 14' and the lever 10, which carries it, is by means of a bolt, as 16, so that the said gripping-bars 14 may have a slight pivotal movement upon said bars 10. When the bars 10 are in their highest positions, the upper ends of the gripping-bars. 14 will fall apart, as shown in Fig. 1. When, however, the levers 10 are depressed by placing the foot upon the lever 5, said gripping-bars will be'drawn downwardly and their upper ends will. be.

forced toward the box upon the machine by means of springs 17, which are secured to the intermediate posts 9 at their outer ends and to the lower ends ,of the gripping-bars 14 at their inner'ends. As the bars 10 are forced downwardly the tendency of the movement will be to stretch the springs 17, and the u per ends of said gripping-bars 14 will thus e 1 carried inwardly against the box.

To properly grip and hold the cover-lid or top boards of the box in position, the up er ends of the gripping-bars 14 are provi ed with angle-plates 18. These plates project inwardly from the upper ends of the bars and are preferably provided with brads or points 19 for preventing the slipping of the material of the 'top or cover when the box is to be nailed.

The machine is provided also; with means for holding the bars in their gripping position until the nailing operation has been completed. In carrying out this purpose an upwardly-extending rack-bar 20 is employed, the lower end of which is secured, by means ofthe hinge 21, to the said foot-lever 5. The said rack bar extends thence upwardly through the guide-plate 22, secured to the gagebeam 4. The rack-b ar is provided with a rack-plate at its central portion, which is formed. with serrations or ratchet-teeth 23. The said ratchet-teeth 23 project forwardly from the edge of the bar 20 a sufiicient distance to be capable of engaging the inner edge of the aperture formed in the guidelate 22. The said rack-bar 20 is normally ept against one edge of the guide-plate 22 by means of a link or rod 24, which is connected with an'intermediate portion of the spring 6 at one end and at the other end is connected with said rack-bar 20. The arrangement of the parts is such that'when the spring 6 is drawn taut by the depression of the foot-lever 5 the said spring will force the link 24 forwardly, and thus hold the rackbar 20 against the edge of the guide-plate22.

In order to release the rack-bar from the plate, it is only necessary to push rearwardly upon the upper end of said rack-bar 20.

In operating the device the box to be filled is placed upon the frame of the machine, the ends thereof resting upon the transverse supporting-beams 3. After the box has been filled to overflowing, so that the fruit projects slightly above the upper edge thereof, the coverboards are laid lightly across the top of the fruit. End cleats are then placed on the brads of the upper bent ends of the angle-plates 18 and are preferably forced against the bars 19 sufficiently to hold them in position. The foot-lever 5 is then depressed, and the gripping-bars 14 are thus brought inwardly against the ends of the box with the cleats pressing upon the end of the cover-boards. The said cleats are forced downwardly by the action of the foot-lever until the ends of the boards are bent over the fruit andagainst the ends of the box. The rack 20 in the meantime en ages plate 22 and prevents the foot-lever 5 cm rising again,

i and the said cleats and cover are thus held in proper position for nailing. As shown in the drawings, the angle gripping-plates 18 are formed with openings, as at 25, so that the cleats may be nailed both at the center and at the ends for properly securing the cover' in position. After the cover has thus been tightly nailed in place the box is released by grasping the upper. end of the rack-bar 20 and forcing it rearwardly. The spring 6 will then draw the foot-lever 5 upwardly, throwing the gripping-bars 14 to their outer positions, as shown in Fig. 1. The box with its bulging top and bottom may then be removed and another one put in place.

- The device is simple in structure and permits of the rapid handling of the fruit and careful and uick manipulation of the covers in securing t em in place. Of course we consider minor changes in the details of the construction as well within the scope of the invention.

What We claim is- 1. A machine of the class described, comprising means for supporting the ends of a receptacle, means for holding the ends of the top for the receptacle iri position for nailing,

and means carried by the end-holding means frame provided with means tosupport a box,

means to engage the top of the box, means to exert a clamping pressure on the top-engaging means, means to secure the pressure-exerting means in clamping position, and a throw-off extending above the frame.

4:. In a machine of the class described, a frame provided with means to support a box, means to engage the top of the box, a footlever arranged to exert a clamping pressure on the top-engaging means, means to secure the foot-lever in a pressure-exerting position, and a' throw-01f lever extending above the frame.

5. A device of the class described comprising a frame mounted upon suitable standards, said frame having supporting means for receiving a box or receptacle which is to be covered or closed, longitudinally-swinging gripping-bars having topengaging spaced ears at their upper ends, and levers for throwing said gripping means against the ends of the boxes and thus holding the cover in position.

6. A device of the class described, comprising a frame mounted upon suitable standards, said frame having supporting means for receiving a box, longitudinally-swinging gripping-bars having top-engaging spaced ears at their upper ends, levers for throwing said gripping means against the ends of the box to hold the cover in position, and a downwardly-depending spur carried by each of said ears arranged to engage and hold. a cleat.

7. A machine of the class described, comprising a supporting-frame having end supports for a box to be nailed, inwardly-extending levers secured to the machine-frame, boxgripping means carried thereby, and a footlever connected with the said inwardly-extending levers for operating them simultaneously. I

8. A machine of the class described comprising a frame mounted upon suitable standards, box-gripping bars -movable in said frame, levers pivoted to the standards of the frame, and projecting inwardly therefrom, and an operating-lever pivotally secured to one of said standards and movably connected with said levers for operating both of them.

' 9. A machine of the class described com prising a box-support, box-gripping means comprising an apertured plate, a foot-lever for operatlng the same, and a rack mechanism for locking the foot-lever and thus holdingthe gripping means in their box-holding positions.

10. A machine of the class described, comp ising a frame for supporting the ends of a box to be nailed, inwardly-extending pivoted levers mounted below the support, grippingbars carried by said levers, springs for forcing the bars against the end of the box when they are depressed, and a foot-lever connected with said bar-carrying levers for operating them slmultaneously.

11. A machine of the class described, comprising a box supporting frame, gripping means for holding the portions of the box together for nailing, a foot-lever for operating the gripping means, a spring normally tending to lift the foot-lever, a rack-bar capable of locking the foot-lever in its depressed positions, and means connecting the spring and the rack-bar for holding the rack-bar against its look, when the foot-lever is depressed.

12. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame capable of supporting a box to be nailed, gripping means for holding the parts of the box together, a foot-lever for operating said gripping means, a spring for lifting the foot-lever, a rack-bar having ratchetteeth formed thereon, a guide-plate and detent for engaging said ratchet-teeth, and a link connecting the rack-bar with the spring of the foot-lever, the tautness of the spring operating to hold the rack-bar against the detent, and the gripping means thus in position.

13. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame for supporting the parts of the box to be nailed, gripping-bars operable for holding the parts in a nailing position, and angle-plates having points or spurs for engaging the material of the cover and preventing its slipping when the parts are being nailed.

14. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame for supporting the partsof the box to be nailed, a hinged foot-lever mounted on the frame, gripping-bars extending upwardly through the frame opposite the ends of the box, levers carrying said grippingbars, and connecting-links for oining the bar-carrying levers and the foot-lever, the depression of the foot -lever causing the operation of the other levers to draw the gripping-bars in place.

15. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame capable of supporting the parts ofa box to be nailed, gripping-bars for engaging the parts of the box, inwardly-projecting spaced ends carried by the said gripping-bars and arranged to hold the cover of the box in place for nailing, the spaces between said ends, permitting of the use of intermediate as well as end nails.

16. A machine of the class described, comprising a frame arranged to support the parts of a box for nailing at its ends only, grippingbars for engaging the ends only of the cover of the box, the said gripping-bars having inwardly-turned ends provided with spurs or points, the said brads facilitating the holding of cleats upon the ends of the cover, and means for depressing the gripping-bars and throwing their upper ends inwardly.

17. A machine of the class described comprising a box-supporting frame, levers projecting inwardly therefrom, gripping bars &

IIO

bolted to said levers, their lower ends project- In testimony whereof we afiix our signaing below the levers, springs connectin their tures in presence of two witnesses. lower ends with rigid portions of the ame, ALLISON A. MACY. and means for depressing the levers which BENJAMIN T. DUNCAN. 5 carry said bars, the said springs upon such de- Witnesses:

pression causing the upper ends of the bars to G. WARD KEMP, be thrown inwardly. E. FJJoHNsoN. 

